Crying Cornelius
by KristieConspiracy
Summary: I've done a million things I'm not proud of, and there are a million more. For the time being, here are five. Written for the Character of the Week Drabble Competition, week 6: Cornelius Fudge.
1. Late

**Challenge: **Fire the Canon's _Character of the Week Drabble Competition (week 6)_ on HPFC

**Characters: **Cornelius Fudge

**Prompt: **3:13PM

**Word count: **169

* * *

Slightly overweight and very out of breath, seventh year student Cornelius Fudge barrelled through the halls. "Excuse me!" "Sorry!" "_Move_!"

His gasped suggestions were usually drowned out by the hard _thud_ of his entire body ricocheting off of a cold stone wall. As he scrambled back to his feet after a rather nasty trip to the bottom of a staircase, he glanced at his watch. 3:13PM. Only 13 minutes late. If he could just -

The door crashed open and all eyes went to him. They took in his red face, his heaving chest, his messy Ravenclaw uniform. "Sorry, Professor! I - I was reading - missed the chime -"

"I'm afraid you have the wrong classroom, Mister Fudge. Unless, of course, you wish to resume Defence Against the Dark Arts. In which case, I'd be thrilled -"

Cornelius closed the door on the hopeful Professor, leaning back against it and taking a deep breath, the oxygen laced with dread.

"Wrong bloody floor," he huffed, and took off again.


	2. Pressure

**Challenge: **Fire the Canon's _Character of the Week Drabble Competition (Week 6)_ on HPFC

**Characters: **Cornelius Fudge, OC (Louis Fudge, Estrella Fudge, jLizza Fudge, Cornelius Fudge Sr.)

**Prompt: **Familial relationships

**Word count: **179

* * *

Cornelius had a wonderfully nurturing family. His parents loved each other very much, and the magical couple never hexed each other in their incredibly frequent arguments.

His older sister was lovely, too, plump and pretty and vain, in much the same manner as their mother. Estrella, her name was. She was training to be a healer.

Even his little brother was alright, when he wasn't around those Gryffindor pranksters. His ambitions involved founding a real-estate company that catered to both muggles and wizards. Louis was the only thin Fudge. He was thin because of his minor obsession with muggle sports.

Unfortunately, since Estrella and Louis had called the good jobs, that left Cornelius to the mercy of his overbearing parents. "You can be a politician," they said, and he didn't have the heart to point out that scatterbrained fools who'd rather read than socialise would do terribly in power games. He'd wait 'til they were dead, then sign on as Hogwarts librarian, where it would be quiet and calm.

By the time they died, he was in too deep.


	3. Expectations

**Challenges: **Fire the Canon's _Character of the Week Drabble Competition (Week 6) _on HPFC

**Characters: **Cornelius Fudge, OC (Honour McAdams, Estrella Fudge, Louis Fudge)

**Prompt: **Romantic relationship

**Word count: **193

* * *

"Don't be daft, Corny," Estrella sneered over the sound of Louis' cackling. "You can't be with someone like _her_. What would mother say?"

Cornelius slammed the door on his way out, half-drowning out his yell: "The old cow is dead! She's beyond caring!"

"How did it go?"

"It didn't," he admitted, resting his head on her lap. "But I don't care."

The woman sighed, tucking a strawberry blond curl behind her ear. "I don't want to come between you and your siblings, love."

"I don't care! They want me to go into politics, fine, I will. I'm up for Minister anyway, that means they can't control me anymore."

"Don't lie to yourself, love. Your family are mild compared to the Malfoys', and I know you need his support in this." Her lip curled slightly in disgust, and he didn't blame her at all.

"The maintenance of pureblood supremacist ideals is an outdated tradition, Honour. It needs to change."

She kissed his forehead. "You'll manage. You just can't marry me until you do."

He groaned, but nodded. "_Fine_. But I still swear, I want you forever."

Honour McAdams, muggleborn, smiled. "And I want you."


	4. Appeasement

**Challenge: **Fire the Canon's _Character of the Week Drabble Competition (Week 6) _on HPFC

**Characters: **Cornelius Fudge

**Prompt: **Written in first person

**Word count: **178

* * *

I've done a million things I'm not proud of to get where I am today.

Minister for Magic. Such a prodigious title. A great deal of respect came with it, but I don't think I ever wanted it, and no one wanted to give it to me, not really. As per the norm, Dumbledore let me down. He rejected the offer, Merlin knows why, and it became mine.

I lived my childhood to appease others. Every decision at Hogwarts was made because my parents wished for me to do so. I fell in love with the most beautiful witch in the world, then lost her and the only other thing that mattered, because my sister said it was for the best. I never had any fun, because that was my brothers' role. I married a pureblood who repulsed me, sired two ungrateful brats I could not love. Then I heard that the witch I still loved had passed away. I was miserable.

I still am.

This is the crown I fought for, and I _don't want it anymore._


	5. Mourning

**Challenge: **Fire the Canon's _Character of the Week Drabble Competition (week 6) _on HPFC

**Characters: **Cornelius Fudge, OC (Adria McAdams)

**Prompt: **Diagon Alley.

**Word count: **200

* * *

Take a right turn at the end of Diagon Alley, and it is possible to reach a magical mortuary called _Griffons Funerary Home_. Behind the counter, a grand archway opens to a magically maintained field of green, laced intermittently with pristine tombstones.

It's even more depressing to look at than Knockturn Alley.

Cornelius took a deep, steadying breath. The child squeezed his hand. "We have to see mum, dad. Come on."

"I know, Adria. Why don't you show me the way?"

The little girl looked so much like her mother, it saddened him to look at her, a reminder of all he'd lost. Soft blond curls, daintily pointed chin, high cheekbones. She didn't have anything of his, except perhaps his heart.

She wasn't his biological daughter, after all.

Adria. Her father, some muggle, who had gone so far as to reject a woman of Honours' power, cast her and their little girl, a young witch, out of his home.

Of course Cornelius stepped in. It was the least he could do, now that he wasn't obligated to please everyone else.

And if he got to be the father of her child in all the ways that mattered, so be it.


End file.
